Mets option Ali Sanchez to alternate site

The Mets have optioned catcher Ali Sanchez to their alternate site in Brooklyn, a move made to bring their active roster down to 28 players. The reduction from a 30-man roster to a 28-man roster had been planned when Major League Baseball set the rules for its 60-game 2020 season, but instead of the originally planned reduction to a 26-man roster two weeks from now, rosters will remain at 28 throughout the season. The team had a full 30-man roster before it designated Ryan Cordell for assignment yesterday.

Sanchez was only added to the Mets’ active roster on August 3 and did not appear in any games in his brief time with the team. The 23-year-old hit .261/.326/.322 in 2019, spending the bulk of his time with Double-A Binghamton and some time with Triple-A Syracuse. Coming into the 2020 season, he made our list of the organization’s top 25 prospects, ranking 23rd. Here’s some of what Steve Sypa had to say in his profile of Sanchez for our list:

While there are questions about his offense, nobody doubts Sanchez’ defensive ability behind the dish. His arm is only average, but he excels at all of the other facets of catching. He is athletic and moves well behind the plate, has a quick transfer, regularly posts good pop times, and has an accurate arm. Sanchez is an excellent framer, with TrackMan data in past seasons suggesting that his framing ability is able to save multiple runs over the course of a season. In addition, he possesses catchers’ intangibles, calling a good game and getting positive reviews by his coaches and pitchers.